


Something Borrowed

by kaleidosscopes



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Suicide Attempt, other side characters might cameo, this is mainly from adrien's perspective
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-06-09 04:41:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6890653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidosscopes/pseuds/kaleidosscopes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being rescued by Marinette early one morning on a cliff, Adrien begins to develop an even closer friendship with his classmate and personal hero. With and without the mask.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was one in the morning, and Adrien was standing on the ledge of cliff.

He was no superhero, nor did he even think he could consider himself an Agreste any longer. His last name was forced upon him at birth and he wished it didn't define him. He wished his future as his father's perfect puppet was not set in stone. But Adrien's yearnings were irrelevant, and that is why he stood atop this cliff at one in the morning.  
He swore he could hear the freezing waters below him calling out in a garbled, hushed tone: _"Adrien, Adrien. Just jump. No one will notice you're gone."_  
Half of him wanted to tell them to shut their lying mouths. Half of him wanted to give in to their taunts and accept the water's chilling embrace as his eternal home.

The wind was blowing strongly through Adrien's beloved Paris and through his impossibly perfect golden hair. It was a night Ladybug would love, he noted in his mind. Stepping ever so close to the edge, Adrien's mind began to wander. Would these be his last thoughts? He thought of his photoshoot that he would've needed to attend in a few hours. _They can find someone else._  
He thought of his father and his father's assistant. _I'm just another model._  
He thought of his small, closely knit group of friends. _I'm sorry._  
He thought of Paris; her landmarks and her people. _I'm sorry._  
He allowed a tear to roll down his cheek, though his throat felt like he was drowning already. He thought of his Ladybug. _I love you more than life itself._

As the model prepared to take his final step, his thoughts were immediately cut short. Somewhere, far, far off in the distance, a voice cut through the sounds of the cold, inviting, taunting waters. He wanted so much to listen, but his decision had already been made. He apologized yet again, this time for what the new voice might have wanted to say. Adrien learned soon after that he can't control his fate as well as he thought he could.

He was frozen. Not frozen by the cool wind or by the water, but by a hand that now gripped onto his arm like it was keeping it alive. He didn't want to look the owner of the hand in the eye. He was embarrassed enough by continuing to stand as he was. Fortunately for him, the owner spoke first.  
"Adrien, what are you doing?"  
Adrien did not respond, but turned ever so slightly towards the voice- not enough to reveal his pathetically dismal looking face. The voice, feminine and soft, spoke once more.  
"It's okay, you don't need to talk about it right now if you don't want to."  
Adrien replayed the voice's words in his head like a broken record. It had long since drowned out the previous voice that occupied his mind. He shot a glance at the hand that was still wrapped around his arm. _Pink nail polish_.  
For no more than a second, the hand loosed it's grip. Simultaneously, he felt an icy, sinking feeling return to his stomach. He clenched his fists.  
"Please don't leave," slipped past his lips. The voice let out a shaky breath followed by a reassuring movement of the hand to his shoulder.  
"I won't leave you. I-I would never leave you, Adrien."  
The temptation to turn to view the voice overpowered Adrien. The waters could wait a few minutes.

Now facing opposite the ledge, his eyes connected with the voice that was pulling him farther and farther from his plan for that night. Her eyes were a striking blue, bluer than the sky and sea, and were only further beautified by the moonlight. Her hair was silky and dark, and it too seemed to shine. Her body was wrapped tightly with several layers of warm garments that smelled strongly of fresh sugar cookies. It was unmistakable who stood before him, and it made him feel _terrible_.

"Marinette..." He tried, and failed, to think of words to express how sorry he was. Sorry that she had to see him like this. Sorry that he had gone to the cliff at one in the morning. Sorry that he had ever thought that it was a good idea. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.  
The voice, now identified as Marinette, did not move her hand.  
"Will you sit down with me?" She decidedly asked, her voice still shaky from fright. Adrien nodded and slowly lowered himself to the ground beside his friend. The wind had died down. The water was quieter now.  
"I...I..." Adrien struggled again with his speech, his mind racing.  
"Adrien...why are you here?" Marinette felt tears well up in the corners of her eyes.  
"I-I don't know." Adrien finally said, his choked up voice akin to Marinette's. "I just feel so- so empty."  
Marinette nodded, rubbing Adrien's back with the palm of her hand.  
"I felt if I ended it now, what difference will it make? My father won't miss me, Nathalie won't miss me, I mean nothing. I'm just-just-"

Adrien's fingernails dug into his hand like razors. His body shook as if an earthquake had hit him, and only him. Years of pent up despair poured out of his eyes at once. Crying with him, Marinette took him in her arms and held onto him with the same strength she had held onto his arm just minutes earlier. Adrien's arms found their rightful place around Marinette's petite frame as his cries were muffled in the fabric of her coat.  
"Just a-a model."  
"Adrien..." Marinette sobbed. "You are so, so much more than just a model. Not just to me, but to Alya, Nino, and all of our classmates. You're kind, generous, amazing Adrien. We care about you so much. You are safe. You can talk to me whenever you need to get away. Just please...please don't leave us."

Adrien sniffled a few times, but could not muster a response. The cold, dry winter air chilled their damp cheeks and shook the line of trees behind them. The water lapping at the cliff lulled Adrien; in Marinette's arms, he almost couldn't imagine a time that the water had been degrading him and inviting him to his death. For the first time that night, Adrien was warm.  
"I don't want to go back to that house, Marinette." Adrien finally managed to say, voice shaking with raw anger. Marinette squeezed his large and strong hand in her small and polished one reassuringly.  
"You don't have to. You can stay in my house for as long as you need."  
Adrien's face contorted suddenly with fear. "But my father...he'll be angrier than you could ever imagine."  
"It doesn't matter. You need to be out of that home- for your own health, Adrien. Please."  
"Marinette, I wish I could. More than anything. But my father is an angry man. I can't risk him becoming even more filled with rage. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," more tears, "I'm sorry for everything that's happened. I just-I-"  
"Shhh," Marinette soothed, "Don't apologize for a thing. None if this is your fault. It's okay." Adrien wiped his cheeks and exhaled. Looking at Marinette with the most sincere gratitude, he smiled. _"Thank you."_

Without saying a word, Marinette placed her dotted scarf around Adrien's neck, hand briefly lingering on his shoulder. _"Take care."_ She whispered, returning his smile and unwavering eye contact. The two silently departed, leaving those waters- those freezing, inviting, lulling waters- far behind. After only a few yards, they turned to face each other once again in unison. Marinette once again smiled sweetly and waved to him. Adrien followed suit, clutching his borrowed scarf. Turning around once more in the direction of his home, his mind swarmed with both warmth and fear.

It was two in the morning, and Adrien was back at his house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here is the very first chapter of what will hopefully be a multi-chapter angst fest heck ye
> 
> (i'm not 100% sure about an update schedule but i'll try for every couple of weeks or maybe sooner!)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien sets out to find his personal hero.

That night, much to Plagg's dismay, Adrien did not get a wink of sleep. He had experience sneaking in and out of his house as Paris' beloved Chat Noir, but fears that didn't involve being caught by his father or Nathalie still kept the poor teen wide awake. He began to ponder: What what happen the next time he would displease his father? Initially, Gabriel Agreste's words were poison; they were furious and frightening and Adrien had cowered away like a scared kitten. Next, they were arrows that Adrien constantly deflected and shot right back at him with. Finally, they were purely nothing. Adrien's mind was an empty void where the scared and angry versions of himself used to reside. He accepted harsh treatments from his father as just part of his daily routine. It was only just two nights before that he began to tire of being so hollow and desensitized and prayed for anything or anyone to make him whole.

Perhaps the bottom of the cliff.

Perhaps nothing.

But what would happen _next_ time death called to him with it's shrill and terrible song? Marinette had been there to silence it's voice last time, but he can't count on miracles like that to happen twice in his life. Fears, his past, his future, and everything in between plagued Adrien into the early hours of morning and seemed to place weights upon his eyelids. A pile of unfinished homework sat idly on his desk. Glancing briefly at the messily stacked papers, Adrien remembered a time just a couple of hours beforehand when he thought they would never get to be finished. He wished for a moment that he had been right, but was quick to dismiss the thought. There were things he had yet to do, and first on that list was figuring out how to properly thank his savior and friend.

Marinette- she was small, shy, pigtailed, and she had opened up a whole new world for Adrien; she didn't even know it. She had given him a should to lean on, a shoulder to cry on, and a shoulder to hold to keep balance. She had given him friendship, trust, and care. But most importantly, she had given him _time_. He needed to tell her how grateful he was. He needed to get to know her and show her the same care she had given him that night. And to carry out those doings, he determined, he would use the spare time she had given him.

Adrien had rolled onto his back after some time. He took note of the serenity of the late night atmosphere. Nobody rushing about on the streets or behind a camera barking instructions on how to pose; nobody being akumatized or giving him a meaningless lecture. Just complete and utter silence. It was a treat for Adrien, really. Locking eyes with the acid green alarm clock beside his bed, he attempted to remember the last time he had been awake to see the time currently displayed on the screen, which was an unfortunate 4:33 A.M. Staying up doing homework? No, he's always stuck to his schedule. Homework is to be finished by dinner. Out on patrol? Impossible. They rarely pass midnight. Than maybe during a sleepover?

_Even Mother enforced a bedtime._

Adrien's thoughts stopped in their tracks at an image of his mother appearing so tragically beautiful in his mind. When Adrien thought of her, she wore her hair flowing down the side of her neck- shiny and blonde like his own. She wore a simple blue sundress that she had kept from her 17th birthday, and she smiled with true happiness and the most perfectly painted red lips. In his dreams, she was with him and was oh so real to him. She still held him close and wiped his tears away when he wept. She still kissed his forehead and told him that she loved him every night before bedtime. In his dreams, she was _still there_. Tears pricked at the corners of Adrien's sleep deprived eyes. Shaking them away, he decided it was a good time to try to sleep again.  
Alas, his efforts were in vain. The moment he began to doze, his alarm clock began to scream. It was the start of a new day that Adrien _would_ get to see. As much as his mind told him to absolutely loath what was to come, a glimmer of excitement bubbled within heart. He was going to make today _worth it_. If not for himself, than for Mother and for Marinette.

With newfound motivation, Adrien slowly ascended from his bed. And with newfound fatigue, he found himself tripping over a physics textbook and colliding with the wall.

_Okay, try again._

Adrien lifted himself up and dragged his feet to the bathroom. Flipping on the light, his head began to pound wildly as his eyes instantly shut themselves. Slowly and carefully, he regained his vision and gazed at a miserable looking reflection in the grandiose mirror. The beginnings of puffy bags formed underneath tired looking irises. Shifting his gaze upwards, a mess of his previously perfect golden hair sat atop his head- maybe even messier than the time an akuma had used wind against him, he noted.

_The makeup artists are going to hate this today._

Clothes had already been set out for him, as per usual, which Adrien promptly dressed himself in, uncoordinatedly but efficiently. The stairwell and foyer initially seemed to be as peaceful as his bedroom was, but he knew better than to believe that. In the daytime, the pristine marble rooms were as desolate and depressing as rooms could possibly be. Visitors wouldn't know that, and Adrien didn't blame them for it. But even so, a large part of him still wished they knew what living in one of the largest mansions in Paris is truly like for it's inhabitants: endlessly lonely and traplike. But, when it call came down to it, too-large marble houses were the least of Adrien's worries.

Nathalie waited (surprisingly patiently it seemed) adjacent to Adrien's seat at the head of the dining room table. On his placemat sat a bland bowl of oatmeal with sliced bananas resting on top. Nothing unordinary.

Taking his seat as he did every morning, Adrien seated himself and began to eat. Glancing down at the boy she was instructed to watch over, Nathalie cleared her throat and hesitantly stepped closer. Quicker than Adrien could follow with his eyes, a small rectangular object with red tinfoil wrapping was slipped in the small crevice between the bottom of the oatmeal bowl and the table. Upon closer inspection, Adrien discovered the contents of Nathalie's offering, rendering himself astonished for the first time in a very, very long time.

"Chocolate?"

Nathalie lifted a slender finger to her lips with a shush. "Our secret."

Adrien paused for a moment, staring at the gift for a long while before giving his father's assistant a half-hearted smile. "Thank you, Nathalie."

The ride to school, though silent, did not compare to the interior silence of the Agreste mansion. People were going to their own respective work places and schools now. The sidewalks were bustling with children, parents, and businesspeople alike, all walking left and right and up and down the streets. Traffic lights shifted their colors and crowds quickly shuffled their feet to the opposite side of the road. Two children challenged each other to a race across the crosswalk. Tourists flocked around the Eiffel Tower in these early hours of the morning to get there before the busier hours of the day. The sun had just recently positioned itself amoung the clouds and the sky boasted a brilliant blue hue. It was 8:30, and morning had officially begun in Paris.  
The bell rung and indicated to Adrien that he would need to hurry his already speedy jog across the school building. But with the amount of sleep he had gotten (or rather, the amount he _hadn't_ gotten), it seemed more like climbing the Eiffel Tower with just his pinky fingers. When seemingly miles of school hallways had been crossed, Adrien was finally seated in his front row bench in Mme. Bustier's first period class. His teacher held a marker in her hand and seemed to be beginning to explain symbolism of some sort.  
Oh, who was he kidding. Adrien had absolutely no idea what it was she was trying to explain.

A short while later, Adrien found the sounds of a lecture on French Literature begin to fade with the clarity of the room around him. With apathy and an urge to submit to the sudden feeling, he found himself resting his weary head on his hands and closing his eyes. When sights and sounds finally started to return, the sounds of squeaky sneakers were already making their way through the doorway. A firm shake from someone beside him jolted his senses and sent Adrien shooting upright.  
"Adrien, man," a chuckle, "you were out cold." Nino grinned and adjusted his cap. Adrien looked upwards towards Nino, Nino's grin, in turn, falling. "Dude. You don't look so hot. You okay?"  
A nod and a measly thumbs up was all Adrien could muster in response. Strangely to him, he wished for once for his friends to be elsewhere. He had one person in mind, and he was going to find her if it was the last thing he'd ever do.  
Fortunately for Adrien, Nino seemed satisfied with his answer.  
"Whatever you say. I'll see you later!" Nino patted his friend on the shoulder and made his way out the door, Alya not-so-surprisngly by his side. As the last foot stepped out of the classroom, it cued Adrien to began his search for his hero and object of his thoughts for the past several hours.  
The locker room was the first place he checked. Quite unluckily, he found all but Marinette- vacancy, a stray student or two, but no dark pigtails.  
_But isn't everyone in the locker room before second period?_

"You can't hide for too long!" A sudden voice shouted from the room next door. "Run, run as much as you want, see if I care! But in the end you'll _always be found!_ " The absence of classmates seemed to become explain itself as maniacal laughter drowned out all other noise in the building. Yet despite this, one strong, fearless voice seemed to almost triumph over the evil, taunting one. One voice that showed that it meant business, and it was ready to face whatever it took to restore the disrupted peace. One voice that screamed, loud and clear:

"Tikki! Spots on!"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug? In /my/ school?  
> It's more likely than you think.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which akuma fights are significantly harder when you haven't gotten any sleep.

It didn't take long after hearing the fearless cry for Adrien's jaw to drop open in downright shock, as he noticed three things simultaneously.

He had been standing in the locker room at _his_ school.

It was almost completely empty.

And he had almost definitely just heard a miraculous transformation.

Could that mean...?  
No, no, it couldn't be. It _can't_ be. Chat Noir found vacant areas to transform all the time. Ladybug probably did the same. Yes. This sounded right.

No matter the truth of the situation, Ladybug was here, and that meant Chat Noir would need to make his appearance as well. Hardly a chore for Adrien, putting on the suit and cat ears meant complete and utter freedom, albeit it being fleeting. Even if it meant fighting an akuma, it was also being able to enjoy these feelings of strength and unrestrainedness alongside the most beautiful and strong of partners for the leather-clad hero. Fighting with her was exhilarating, fun, and most of all, cathartic, in just one experience; an opportunity more than he could ever request of life to offer him. And it was for that very reason that Adrien was now sprinting to the bathroom to begin his own transformation.  
When it all came down to it, though, Chat Noir _was_ a black cat. It's all too common for people to superstitiously believe the animals are bad luck, and Chat Noir proved them all right. He is the destructive, unlucky, yin to Ladybug's creative, lucky, yang, and he had just walked into a completely packed bathroom.  
Scared, shaking schoolmates piled into the stalls and under the sinks. One or two dared to lower themselves into the toilet. Save for a handful of whispers, it seemed to be almost as silent as the locker room had been. Before Adrien could truly asses the situation, a hand slightly larger this his pulled him under the sink in one strong, swift movement.

"SHH. You gotta stay quiet. Or else she's gonna find you just," a soft snap, "like that."  
Adrien looked the speaker in the eyes, recognizing it as an unusually quiet and still Kim. Behind him sat Max and Ivan with an array of younger students. The furthermost child, just barely in Sixième, clung tightly to his older brother's arm.  
"Psst. Adrien." A voice called from beyond a stall.  
Adrien squinted in attempt to look inside the door crack. "Yes?"  
"What's up? I'm in a toilet." A splash.  
Adrien rubbed his continuously fatigued eyes.  
"Is that you Nino?"  
"Bingo."

Adrien couldn't help but laugh, earning himself a chorus of shushes from every corner of the bathroom. "What's going on here?" He whispered back to Kim.  
"There's an akuma playing some sort of sadistic hide-and-seek-tag game out there. If you make even the smallest noise, she'll tag and freeze you. Literally."  
Nino chimed in louder. "She already got Alya. Right in front of the library."  
A wave of shushes returned. Kim nodded.  
"Yeah, Rose and Juleka too. And I haven't even heard Chat Noir come in yet. This is kinda _really_ bad."

Adrien began to stress. If he left the room, he could be caught, and Chat Noir would never be able to help fight the akuma. Adrien would miss an opportunity to partake in one of the few things that truly liberated him, and he would leave Ladybug all by herself. Alternatively, he could stay in the bathroom, but the same result would occur without a chance for success. _"What the hell,"_ Adrien thought, _"it's a worth a shot."_

As silently as he could muster, Adrien began to rise from his position below the sink and shuffle towards the door.  
"Dude, where are you going?" Kim whispered a bit harsher.  
Adrien put on the proudest face he could to deliver his excuse. "I'm going to find a better hiding place. I don't want to risk any of you getting caught, so please, stay here."  
The boys beneath the sinks nodded in unison as Adrien made his escape.

Once successfully shuffled outside the bathroom, Plagg inched his head out of the top of Adrien's bag earning a look of distress from hero.  
"Plagg, where can we go? People are hiding everywhere!" Adrien spoke quietly, but worriedly, anxious expression matching that of his kwami. Ladybug was fighting alone, and he had yet to speak to Marinette again. The safety of the two more important ladies in Adrien's life flooded his mind in an instant.  
Plagg's green eyes, so often either sleeping or fixated solely on cheese, stared knowingly into Adrien's. "I don't think anyone is in that classroom," Plagg pointed a small hand in the direction of a math classroom, "But you have to hurry, Adrien." Crossing his fingers, he padded across the corridor and through the door of the classroom.

"Chat Noir! I know you're here somewhere; Come out, scaredy cat!" A small child's unsettlingly crazed voice rang out.  
As if the taunt was a cue, Adrien smirked. "Plagg! Claws out!"

Successfully transformed, Adrien's energy and motivation skyrocketed. Sprinting from the classroom and projecting himself forward with his staff, Chat Noir let loose a few hoots and fancy flips into the locker room. A red and black clad lady snorted beside him.

"Show off."

Chat grinned. "You know you love it."

"Well look who finally showed up!" The akuma jested. "I'm the Seeker, and you're IT!"

Dozens of hands flew at Chat's unsuspecting face faster than he could count. Bracing himself for impact, he folded himself into a ball and squeezed his eyes as tight as he could. But impact never arrived- just a spinning yo-yo above his head deflecting each hit.

"RUN!" Ladybug's frantic voice shouted directly to him. Ducking out from underneath the shield, Chat readied his staff in his hands.

"Play time's over, Seeker!" He exclaimed, launching himself from the ground once more. Flying through the air, Chat focused on his target: the child's small and pudgy fingers. The fingers that belonged to a child who, presumably, was _very_ displeased with their game of tag. The right pointer was adorned with a single shiny plastic ring. No...two plastic rings?  
_"I'm seeing things,"_ thought Adrien, a foreign sensation beginning in his gut. " _Why is the ground so close?"_  
Hands grasping at nothing in particular, Chat sailed across the room and skidded away from the akuma and Ladybug. Wincing in pain, he opened his palm. No ring. No two rings either. Damnit.

"Chat!" Ladybug called worriedly, immediately stowing away her weapon. Rushing to his side, she began an examination of sorts on her partner. This was the boy who she had seen thrown from buildings and towers. Her partner, who has been pinned down by the strongest of akumas and entirely possessed, had without fail gotten up and fought with utmost vigor. To her, he was one of the strongest people she had ever known. Yet there on the floor of the locker room of Collège Françoise Dupont lay Chat Noir, pained expression and unmoving except for the rapid rising and falling of his chest.

Ladybug knelt down to his level. "Chat, your hands. And your back..how do you feel right now?"  
Her blue-eyed gaze appearing in his blurry vision, Chat smiled weakly. "I feel fine now that you're here, my lady."  
Under normal circumstances, Ladybug would roll her eyes, but she kept the action internalized. "Chat, I've never seen you this winded. I can handle the akuma, but please rest."

Chat attempted in earnest to lift his head up, only to result in it crashing back down. "You're very strong, bugaboo, but I don't want you to get hurt." As Chat spoke, the two heroes could both hear tiny, angry stomps approaching.

"I'll be fine, I promise." Ladybug gently squeezed his hand in hers before standing up, her feet emitting two loud clacks in the process. "It's time to end this, akuma!" She bellowed. "Lucky charm!"  
As light spun around her, a large, swirled lollipop dropped into Ladybug's slender hands.  
This one's easy.

"Ladybug," Chat reached his hand out and promptly set it back down again. His partner danced in circles distracting luring away the Seeker, feet moving as if she were dancing; elegant and precise. It was a luxury enough to be able to view her from mere feet away, but admiring from afar, Chat decided, was far better. Her's and her opponents feet began to slowly fade as Adrien's vision began to blur for the second time that day. Bright red and black dots, steel grey and white tiles all became black in an instant, and Adrien and Chat Noir were asleep once more.

He awoke to yet another voice calling his name. A voice he most certainly recognized this time, immediately even. "Feminine" and "soft" were adjectives that came to mind. Though he needn't smell garments or look back upon painted fingernails to know who stood hovering over him.

His savior. His friend. The baker's daughter.

 _Marinette_. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry you guys, there's fluff to come.


End file.
